TITLE
Consider an ordinance creating the classification of Assistant Chief of Fire and amend the number of authorized civil service positions for the Killeen Fire Department.
SUMMARY
DATE: June 18, 2019
TO: Ronald L. Olson, City Manager
FROM: Eva Bark, Executive Director of Human Resources
SUBJECT: Ordinance To Create the Classification of Assistant Chief of Fire and Amend the Number of Authorized Civil Service Positions for the Killeen Fire Department
BACKGROUND AND FINDINGS:
The Texas Local Government Code (TLGC), Chapter 143, represents an effort to present, in a coherent and practical format, the laws and civil service procedures for Texas police and fire departments. The civil service system was established in the City of Killeen in an election duly called and lawfully conducted on August 13, 1977. The rules and regulations of TLGC Chapter 143 apply to all classified police and fire officers.
One of the provisions of TLGC, Chapter 143, is that the municipality’s governing body establishes the civil service classifications by ordinance. This ordinance, as adopted by the governing body, further prescribes the number of positions in each classification [TLGC 143.021(a)].
TLGC 143.014 provides the department head of a civil service department may make an appointment to the position immediately below that of the department head if the position is approved by the municipality’s governing body. The fire department currently has a rank of Fire Deputy Chief, and each of those positions is a position filled by a promotional exam, not appointment by the Fire Chief. The proposed classification would be one position and would be above the current Fire Deputy Chief classification.
Appointment of an Assistant Chief of Fire ensures public safety fire industry best practices by defining responsible authority within the Killeen Fire Department. This position is administrative and, in the absence of ...
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